


Petals

by kumo_is_kumo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Baekhee, F/M, Fluff, Genderswitch, Girl Baekhyun, M/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-07-11 10:46:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15970739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kumo_is_kumo/pseuds/kumo_is_kumo
Summary: When the refugees are all taken under the royal order of King Chanyeol, all the women are taken into the palace to be made maids and slaves. There is one particular woman who doesn't even back away and openly glares to where the King sits. King Chanyeol is intrigued by that.





	1. one

 

The town is bustling with merchants trying to gain everyone’s attention so they can sell their goods. Some household slaves are buying goods according to the order of their owner. Children are all running after one another, trying to steal the once already stolen apple in one of their hands, with the fruit merchant lady following closely after them while sprouting words to stop them.

Some noblemen walk along the busy street, making faces at the dirty children with their dirty hands, while they are followed by their personal slave bringing their heavy things. There are also scholars holding onto books as they clearly are studying for their upcoming _gwageo_ * in less than twenty days.

Farmers walk tired, yawning, as they have yet to start a new day at the field under the blazing sun strike. A craftsman accidentally bumps against one farmer after he is done paying some money to the merchant for the stuff he needs for his crafts. With a soft apology, they all walk on their own way.

Everyone’s attention is drifted when a group of _gisaeng_ * walks in the middle of the street. The head of the _gisaeng_ group walks elegantly, her long fingers holding gentle grips onto her _chima_ * to avoid the beautiful silk from getting dirty. There are some more juniors _gisaeng_ walking right behind her, with them battling their eyelashes to the noblemen and scholars who are blatantly staring at them with a wick grin.

After those _gisaeng_ have left from their sight, everyone continues their business just like before.

This is the usual day in every town, busy and noisy. Everyone, regardless of their _yangban_ *, _jungin_ *, _sangmin_ *, or _cheonmin_ *, walks along in the street. It’s a very peaceful town and they want nothing but to keep this peace for the rest of their life.

And so does Baekhee hope.

For a daughter of a _jungin_ family, Baekhee enjoys peace and familiarity. Fight or something out of place is not something she wishes to see.

She is the only daughter of the Byun family. They are a family of calligraphers. Despite of them being a part of _jungin_ , they all prefer to maintain this life instead of being involved in politics and other difficult things. Baekhee loves her father and mother, as they are the only people that matter the most to her. Well, there are also Bomi, her family personal slave who has serving the Byun family for years.

Them being _jungin_ doesn’t make it easy for them, but also never makes it difficult either. _Jungin_ is the middle people and they are always the backbone of the dynasty. They do the technical work and they are the right professionals who maintain the country. Interpreters, accountants, physicians, calligraphers, jurists, and so on; they are part of _jungin_ who maintain the whole country.

Parents who are from _jungin_ family are eager and racing to send their daughters to the palace. With the chance and with luck, their daughters can be offered to be the court ladies through the contact inside of the palace. And if they are luckier, their daughters might stand the opportunity to be one of the king’s concubines.

Baekhee is not interested in difficult things. If she can, maybe a gentle and educated _yangban_ man might choose their family to tie the relationship between them by taking Baekhee as a bride to their family. And maybe one day, she might have just to spend the rest of her day serving her husband and taking care of her in-laws and heirs too. It’s still too early to think of that as Baekhee is still so young but it’s only a matter of time before a _yangban_ nobleman might come knocking onto their door.

 

“Father, mother,” Baekhee calls, stepping out of her _hye_ * before her _beoseon_ * clad feet pad across the floor.

“Baekhee,” her mother calls back, stepping out to greet her and to relive her hands from the goods she was asked to buy earlier. Baekhee smiles and thanks her mother.

“The street was so busy.” She says, stepping deeper into the house and sitting down gracefully.

“Was it?” Her mother smiles, reaching forward to smooth a single hair on Baekhee’s head.

“Yes! I saw the _gisaeng_ again today! They were indeed very beautiful.” She says while smiling. Her mother laughs softly.

“My Baekhee is also beautiful.” The elder woman coos and Baekhee smiles brighter.

“Thank you, mother. I got my looks mostly from you, so you are beautiful too. Don’t tell father.” She whispers the last part.

“What is it that you don’t want to tell me?” Her father walks closer, appearing out from nowhere and Baekhee flinches in surprise.

“Father!” She gasps, half whining because her father always has the habit of hiding way too well and then appearing all too well, too. The elder man laughs loudly at his daughter’s shocked face.

“Are you talking about me behind my back again?” Her father narrows his eyes on her and Baekhee smiles innocently.

“Am I?” She teasingly asks back and then lets out a series of giggles when she hears her parents’ laughter at her words.

“You are indeed my child.” Her father muses, shaking his head while sitting down.

Baekhee watches as her mother goes to caress her father’s arm as the two elders look into each other’s eyes with so full of love. If one day Baekhee will be wedded to someone, she hopes she will find a love so innocent like her parents did.

 

The sudden loud noises coming from the outside of their house startle them all. With her eyes rounded, Baekhee stares at her father.

“What was that sound?” She asks.

Her father frowns. “I am not sure, but for the safety, I need you two to hide. Take Bomi with you, too.” The old man steps down the stairs. Baekhee is about to protest, but the noises become louder and it’s enough to realize that there is some kind of an attack happening out there.

Women are heard screaming and there are sounds of men telling them to stop struggling.

“Wife, take Baekhee and hide somewhere safe.” The old man orders them.

“No, father,” Baekhee gulps but then the old man glances to her with sharp eyes.

“Baekhee,” he calls, gripping tight onto her shoulder, “no matter what will happen, promise me to stay safe. Do you understand?”

Tears clouding her sight and she doesn’t want to leave her father alone to deal with whatever is happening, but the man smiles to her and pats her head. “Promise me, my dear daughter.”

“I… I promise, father.” She whispers shakily and then she watches the man giving her mother a soft kiss on her head. “Take care. I will get you all back later when things die down.”

With a nod, Baekhee is dragged away by her mother to the deepest part of their house. Halfway through their run, they are stopped by a panicking Bomi, their private slave, and the three of them hide inside a big drawer in her parents’ room.

There is a distant sound of their front wooden door being broken down and Baekhee flinches in surprise.

“Mother, I’m scared.” She whispers, gripping onto the hands hugging her. Either they are her mother’s or Bomi’s hands, she no longer knows.

“Promise me, too, Baekhee,” her mother whispers, “promise me that you will stay alive and stay safe, no matter what.”

“Mother-!”

“Promise me!!” The woman raises her voice a bit, on the edge of panicking but she can’t show it in front of her daughter. Baekhee nods and swallows back a sob.

The sounds are getting closer and her mother gives Baekhee and Bomi a quick hug, before she runs out of the drawer.

She loves her husband too much to even leave him alone.

Baekhee slaps a hand over her mouth to muffle her noise. Bomi clings onto her arm and together they stay inside the closet for a while. The sounds don’t die down; they are getting louder and even closer.

A loud bang a few meters from their hiding place and with a sudden shake from Bomi, Baekhee glances to her companion.

“Young lady, I really love you,” Bomi says in between her scared gasps, “P-please stay alive and be well! I will r-really miss you! Promise us you will stay safe anywhere you go, young lady!”

And right after that, Bomi says, “I will distract them! Young lady, please run if you have the chance!”

The slave runs out of the closet and towards the men who then right away notice her presence. Baekhee can hear the sounds of Bomi’s cries and she covers her ears to not listen to her beloved companion getting hurt by strangers who have invaded their humble house. She bites down on her lip to hold her voices back before she can notify the men that she is here.

 

After quite some time, Baekhee doesn’t hear anymore noises and so many thoughts have run inside her head. Where are his parents and Bomi; that’s her first ever question.

It’s a risk for her to stay here in this closet, but it’s also dangerous for her to run out of here without knowing whether those men have already gone or not.

She can only pray to the Gods so that she and her family will be safe. The first thing she is going to do once she is out of here is to look for her parents and Bomi. No matter what happens, she won’t leave them alone.

 

It’s a distinct noise coming from somewhere, too soft for her to even notice but it’s there.

Her breathe starts to quicken again and her heart is pounding in her chest. She curls herself into a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible.

There are footsteps coming closer and she is this close from letting out a scares shriek.

 

Baekhee shudders when she hears the royal guards breaking down the door to her humble home. Everything is broken down to pieces and she can only pray that she will be safe. No matter what happens, she has to be safe. That’s her last promise she made to her father.

There are voices of men telling one another to check all over her house. She is very scared that she will be found. Footsteps, notably of ten or more men, are heard all over the place.

“Hey, we were told that there are supposed to be two young ladies in this house.”

Baekhee’s eyes widen in surprise as the voice is so close to her ear.

“And we have only found one. That means there is still another one hiding…”

Her breathe hitches when the door to the drawer she is hiding in is yanked open.

“…here.”

With her eyes filled with fear, she finds two royal guards grinning victoriously as they find her. They grab her arms and drag her outside, much to her struggles.

“Let me go!” Baekhee struggles to break free, but their grips on her don’t relent at all.

She is thrown to the ground, her _jeogori_ * is dirtied and her _chima_ is ripped. There are so many other women that are in the same condition as her and Baekhee grits her teeth in both fear and anger. No other words can describe her feeling right now.

“Don’t even think of running away,” one royal guard says, pointing his spear towards them to threaten. Baekhee gulps and grips onto her _chima_ , already this close in attacking the guards but if she ever does that, the other women will be endangered even more.

“Get into the wagon, one by one. Quickly!”

The women and little girls are all shoved into the cramped wagon and get close to one another. Baekhee is the last to enter, her jaws set as she glares to the guards in a challenging stare. The guards push her into the wagon harshly.

The women catch onto her before she topples over and then the wagon door is closed right in front of their eyes, preventing them from seeing their wrecked houses for the last time. The wagon jolts as it moves forward. Baekhee fists her hands and promises to get her revenge.

 

\---

_* Gwageo_ : civil service exam | _Gisaeng_ : courtesan | _Chima_ : skirt | _Yangban_ : civil officers and military officers | _Jungin_ : middle people | _Sangmin_ : commoners | _Cheonmin_ : vulgar commoners or “dirty” people | _Hye_ : traditional shoes or “flower shoes” | _Beoseon_ : socks | _Jeogori_ : upper garment *


	2. two

Baekhee listens to mothers trying to calm their crying young daughters as they are locked in the cramped wagon, blindly being taken away to wherever the royal guards are taking them. The fury and anger in her is so huge, she doesn’t even know what she is going to do. She can’t think straight at all from all the madness she is feeling building up in her chest.

Someone tugs onto the sleeve of her dirty  _ jeogori _ and Baekhee glances to the side, only to find a little girl barely at the age of ten staring up at her with questioning eyes.

“Young lady,” the little girl calls politely, “where are we going?”

Baekhee feels her heart constricts with how innocent yet curious the question is. She doesn’t even know what kind of respond she will have to give the little girl as she herself doesn’t know the answer. Instead of giving a reply in words, Baekhee reaches for the girl and brings her into an embrace.

The girl says nothing, as if she knows that Baekhee doesn’t have an answer for her question.

 

The wagon jolts forward and it stops altogether. Baekhee, together with everyone in there, stare wide eyed and wait anxiously of what to become of their destiny from this very second.

When the doors open, the royal guards are staring at them as if waiting for the moment they might be trying to escape, waiting for the chance to hurt them even more. Baekhee stares at the royal guards as they are one by one ushered to get down from the wagon.

Standing in line with everyone, they are brought closer to the gate leading to the seemingly royal palace. Baekhee holds onto the hand of the little girl, getting a push on her back from one of the guards who tells her to fasten her steps. She throws a dirty glare to the guy, not caring of what might be the consequence.

Everyone enters the royal palace. It’s rare for them, normal citizens, to enter the palace without any important occasion. The whole place is so huge and admirable, and as they get closer to the middle of it, they are all told to kneel down.

Because apparently, the king is currently sitting on his throne up there.

The women and girls all scoot closer to seek each other’s comfort, their head bent down in fear of what might happen to them.

Instead of doing the same, Baekhee stares up with curious and wide eyes.

 

“Your Majesty!” The general calls for the king, “We have brought all of the traitors’ families.”

Baekhee can feel her heart suddenly thuds faster. Traitors? Them?

“Very well.” The king in his red robe glory says.

Even though it’s not allowed, Baekhee stares up to the throne, her jaws set, and her eyes burn in anger. She is outraged. This is absurd; no one here is a part of traitor! This must be a misunderstanding!

“Hey, you!” The guard calls for her, “Bend your head down!”

Baekhee is not listening; she doesn’t even care for those people. All she feels right now is not fear, but a complete rage upon being accused of being part of traitors. They are good families! Living good lives without a single thought to even hurt anymore, moreover to take over the throne! What kind of absurdity is this?!

The guard holds onto her head, purposely forcing her to bend down but Baekhee grits her teeth, fighting back against the force. She is not one to give up, as that is one of her dominant traits, so she keeps fighting to stare down the king up there.

Who cares if it’s the king of the whole country? She is not going to give up even if there is such a powerful title for the man— but then her parents’ words echo in her head:  _ promise me to stay alive. _

With a grunt, she lets the guard pushes her head low, even though she keeps her eyes straight to the man seated on the throne. What absurdity this is to be accused of a crime that they didn’t even do!

“You wrench-!” The guard lifts his spear to point at her but the intensity of anger in her eyes is enough to show the guard that she is not one to give up.

“Enough.” The king says, one palm lifted to tell the guard to stop. There is a look of something in the ruler’s gaze, one that Baekhee doesn’t understand because it’s certainly not anger. 

The distance between where she is kneeling and where the king is seated is very far, so she is unable to see that the look and the amused smile on the king’s face speaks of how intrigued he is towards her.

_ Interesting. _

 

*

 

Baekhee and the other young ladies are brought to the other palace. She is not sure where they are and this is certainly not the dungeon (considering that they are being accused as criminals), but the head of court ladies comes to greet them.

“From today onwards, all of you will be working here in the palace to serve the royal family. Follow me.”

Becoming a court lady? A  _ nain _ ? What kind of absurdity is this? Baekhee is a Byun and she is coming from a well educated family! There is no way she will bend down to be a court lady and to serve people who had accused her family of doing something wrong!

“Pardon!” Baekhee speaks up, her face contorted into one of disbeliefs. The head of court ladies glances to her without any interest, but there is a slight surprise written all over her face upon finding Baekhee speaking up without being told to.

“We are becoming court ladies? Do you even know who we are?” She asks in disbelief, unable to accept the sudden destiny being put upon them.

The head glances to her, raking her eyes up and down all over her body.

“You do not have the right to speak with that tone to me, lady.” The head speaks with a cold tone 

They are given the clothes to change into. Baekhee stares at the disbelief at how they are given clothes that don’t even show their rank. They are not purely appointed as a  _ nain _ ; they don’t even have any rank here.

The head points them one by one, separating them into groups to handle different jobs. It might be her own thinking, but it seems that the head seems to hold some sort of private grudge to her, because she talked back against the head earlier.

Baekhee is appointed to be a  _ musuri _ , a rankless court lady whose job is to do miscellaneous jobs, such as drawing water from the well, making a fire, and other jobs that are not important. Her fists are tight beside her, a telltale of her trying to calm herself down and to not make any more scenes. If she snaps, it’s not only her who will be in danger, but also the other young girls who came along with her.

Once again, her father’s sentence echoes in her head.  _ Promise me to stay alive. _

And stay alive she will, even though it’s not going to be easy. With that thought in her mind, Baekhee picks up the last bits of her pride and sanity, heading to where the well is, together with the other girls. They all stick together, already knowing one another even when they were neighbors and when they were stuck inside of the wagon that brought them here.

The senior court ladies start shouting at them, telling them to hurry and fasten their feet. The mocking laugh and sly smile from those court ladies are making her insane. She is a part of  _ jungin _ , she is a part of well educated people and this is definitely not the right way to treat her, even though those ladies are court ladies who serve the king and the royal family. Just because they are living in the palace and serving the royal family, they think they have the right to belittle people like this. The seniority shows and it’s unbelievably annoying, but she can only grit her teeth and tell herself over and over again that she is doing this just to survive. 

If she can find a way to get out of the palace, she will not hesitate to leave this place.

 

\---

_ * Jeogori _ : upper garment |  _ Nain _ : court ladies without any rank who did most of labour works | _Musuri_ : a rankless court lady whose job is to do miscellaneous jobs |  _ Jungin _ : middle people *

 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Soooo.... how was it? I'm actually very excited for this story~ I hope you enjoy the prologue-like first chapter! Tell me what you think about this! Thanks for reading! ^-^


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